Fashion in Film: Emma. (2020)

I have always been transfixed by clothing in films, and over the years I’ve read everything I can about costume design. I was inspired to start a Twitter thread, but wanted to explore the topic without a word count. And this series, Fashion in Film, was born! Here we will take a deeper dive into notable costume design in film.

Seeking a distraction during this difficult time, I finally was able to see Emma. (2020), a movie people started recommending me immediately after the first trailer dropped! Watching director Autumn de Wilde's first foray into feature films was like a soothing balm, with a carousel of visual optimism arriving in quick succession: floral wallpaper! Ornate costumes! Lingering close-ups on hands! Tear-stricken confessions! A shock of blood! All anchored by strong performances from Anya Taylor-Joy, Miranda Hart, and Bill Nighy. There was so much I loved about this spirited take on the Jane Austen classic.

Read on for a deeper dive on my favorite costumes in Emma. (2020).

Guest Post: Andi Be Goode Hearts Grease

For Mermaidens' second guest post, film and vintage clothing expert Andi Be Goode tells us why Grease is one of her very favorite movies!

"Grease is the word”, or so we are told by the opening song for the 1978 movie musical of the same name. It also happens to be one of my all-time favourite movies (just behind Rocky Horror Picture Show which takes top position on that list) and has been since I was a small child and my best friend and I would dance to Greased Lightning (not understanding all of the words) for our mums.

I'm pretty sure Grease has influenced my taste in a lot of things – my love of the '50s (though I think this was helped by having a mother older than most of my peers'), my desire to own a pink car and have a cool in which to hang out with my group of friends (and a group of friends to hang out with), and, perhaps, my tendency to want to break out into song every so often (bound to happen when you are reared on musicals).

I don't think I could possibly pick a favourite part of the movie but I can tell you a few things I may love more than other bits, like, for example, the appearances by Frankie Avalon and Edd Byrnes two big swoon-inducing stars of the late 50s/early 60s.

And how could I not mention other stars of classic Hollywood like Eve Arden and Joan Blondell? (Growing up, I never realised just how many of the older actors in the film had had such prolific and long movie careers... I'm sure I'm missing some!)

I once read a website about how American teenagers really dressed in the 1950s and the author of the site said how unrealistic Grease is in that respect – but it is a musical. I don’t usually look to musicals for historical accuracy but, even so, the costumes in Grease capture the essence of what is stereotypically 1950s. Even musicals made in the era in which they are set are exaggerated representations of the fashion, etc., and that’s what I love about them.

Grease doesn’t quite fit into the hyperreality of other musicals that I love from the 40s and 50s but I think it’s a similar kind of idea. The world of musicals is another world entirely and why people can be so divided by them.

I love the incorporation of the musical's original songs with songs of the era, sung by Sha Na Na at the school dance. The school dance scene is, of course, one of my favourites of the whole film...I still want Rizzo's dress. And probably Frenchie's, too...and Cha Cha's! In fact, just give me all of the dresses please.

Unlike other fans, I don't hate the sequel – in fact, I wholeheartedly embrace it! But I'm not here to write about Grease 2 so I'll just end with some lyrics from my favourite song from the film (and also the song my best friend and I chose to be "our song")

Ra-ma la-ma la-ma ka ding a da ding de dong
Shoo-bop sha wad-da wad-da yipp-it-y boom de boom
Chang chang chang-it-ty chang shoo-bop
Dip da-dip da-dip doo-wop da doo-bee doo
Boog-e-dy boog-e-dy boog-e-dy boog-ed-y
Shoo-by doo-wop she-bop
Sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na yip-pit-y boom de boom
Ra-ma la-ma la-ma ka ding-a de ding de dong

            Andi is a ukulele playing, film
            loving, and vintage clothing
            enthusiast who can be
            found blogging at Andi Be Goode!
            Thank you so much Andi ♡!
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Favorite Films: Disney's Cinderella (1950)

Concept artist Mary Blair and the whole Disney crew really outdid themselves with the animation for Cinderella, my personal favorite Disney film - the color scheme of soft blues and pinks paired with the detailed, beautifully rendered settings is a dreamland. The characters, from Cinderella herself to the mice and birds, are just the icing on the cake. To me, Cinderella is art in motion.

I've always thought the movie version of Cinderella was much more pretty than the generic stock images of Cinderella that populates the prepackaged pink toy aisles!

This Prince Charming has some sass~

♥, Kailey

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David Lynch Inspired Nails

Last month I finally watched ERASERHEAD for the first time, and was inspired to do my nails based on some of David Lynch's most iconic imagery.

Thinking of David Lynch, immediately red, black, and white come to mind - all of his work has a very distinct aesthetic to it (something I absolutely love), from the rich blues and reds in BLUE VELVET to the stark and crisp black and white Eraserhead was filmed in.

For the TWIN PEAKS inspired design on my index finger, I turned to "The Red Room" for inspiration - I painted the nail white, cut tape into thin strips, arranged them in a zig zag pattern, and painted over the tape with black polish.

On the middle finger, I painted the nail a blue color that resembled sky, cut more thin strips of tape, arranged them like so, and painted white over the nail. After this new coat had dried, I used a toothpick to carefully drop three small dots to suggest roses. My inspiration for this was the infamous opening scene of Blue Velvet.

I painted my ring finger white, cut tape into rectangles, arranged them into a checkerboard pattern, and painted over the nail with black polish to suggest the floor design in the dream(?) sequence in Eraserhead.

And finally, I painted my pinky and thumb nails a simple red to evoke all the blood that is spilt in his work! For a rough example of how I assembled the tape to achieve this design, click here!

If you want to do this yourself and have any questions, feel free to comment, email, or tweet me them to me!

What color are your nails right now?

♥, Kailey
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MAKE-UP LOOK: Une Femme Est une Femme (1961)

photo source Film Stills

Anna Karina's role as Angela in Jean-Luc Godard's UNE FEMME EST UNE FEMME (1961) has lived on in cinema and fashion history: her character's look - consisting of a wardrobe filled with primary colors, tights, and bows - has bewitched movie enthusiasts for decades.

Whilst I am not usually a fan of Jean-Luc Godard's movies, I can't help but be charmed by this one! Anna Karina is undeniably adorable, and I really love Jean-Paul Belmondo's performance as Karina and Jean-Claude Brialy's friend - not to mention the adorable 50s musicals nod!

The other day I decided it would be fun to do my make-up in a loosely based take on Angela's signature look in the movie.

I pinned the sides of my hair up, put on some bright blue eyeshadow (I used Make Up For Ever's Flash Color Pot no 20), applied black eyeliner in a cat eye style, and wore a red cardigan.

What movies to you turn to for beauty inspiration? And, as a side note, Happy New Year everybody! I hope you have an incredible 2012. ^^

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Beauty Icon: Elizabeth Taylor

How does one even begin to write a post about Elizabeth Taylor? The iconic woman who had her first break-out role at the tender age of 12, has been attributed as being the most beautiful woman in the world. Indeed, it is not hard to see why: her signature look, consisting of perfectly shaped eyebrows, gorgeous dark hair, and violet eyes have captivated film lovers over the course of many different movies, husbands, and eras!

Images courtesy of tumblr & simplyclassics

Elizabeth's incredible filmography proves she had the talent to back up her star status - Suddenly, Last Summer being an incredibly haunting and claustrophobic film. One thing I truly love about Elizabeth is she used her fame to help people - she has raised more than $270 million for HIV and AIDS-related projects.

Do you have a favourite Elizabeth Taylor film?

♥, Kailey

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Favorite Films: Marie Antoinette (2006)

While I feel like the plot and character development of this movie leaves something to be desired, MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006) is definitely one of the prettiest movies I have ever seen. The pastel hues, floral patterns, costumes, and sets make this movie such a treat for the eyes! Meanwhile, who else is so excited about Kirsten Dunst's "come-back"?

♥, Kailey

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